Increasingly, the radial artery is used for access to the arterial vasculature when performing interventional procedures such as angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. This is in contrast to alternative access sites, such as the femoral artery. Radial artery access may be considered to be preferable over femoral artery access for certain procedures as it may allow vascular closure in a vessel that is more easily closed. This may result in less hospital-based recovery time for the patient thereby reducing costs and improving patient comfort.
Following a transradial catheterization procedure, closure of the radial artery puncture site can occasionally result in permanent occlusion of the radial artery. In the event that the adjacent ulnar artery is not fully functional, occlusion of the radial artery may lead to improper perfusion of the hand. Furthermore, loss of radial artery patency (normal blood flow) can prohibit future use of the radial artery for further procedures.
It is known to provide an arterial compression device to provide a compressive force to the radial artery following transradial catheterization with the aim of achieving patent hemostasis. Known arterial compression devices include bands that are secured around the wrist of the patient, where the devices additionally include a movable pad or inflatable bladder for applying the compressive force to the radial artery. Such arterial compression devices may be used for several hours following removal of a sheath/cannula from the radial artery puncture site to achieve patent hemostasis.
There exists a need, however, for providing an improved arterial compression device and methods of using the same.
It is an object of embodiments of the present disclosure to provide an arterial compression device and methods of using an arterial compression device that overcome certain disadvantages associated with the prior art.